About Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado

Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado helps academically motivated high school and college students rise above disadvantaged backgrounds to earn a high school diploma, entry into college, and a college degree through mentoring, tutoring, and scholarship.

Our goal is to support young people who are physically, emotionally and academically prepared for post-secondary education and a productive life. By helping these students earn both their high school and college degree, we are effectively breaking the cycle of poverty. BHGH of Colorado utilizes the following elements to achieve our mission:

  • Academic excellence
  • Service and community engagement
  • Family-like settings to cultivate youth empowerment
  • Long-term and comprehensive programming
  • Faith-based values
  • Voluntary participant commitment
Boys Hope Girls Hope firmly believes that children have the power to overcome adversity, realize their potential, and help transform our world. Children create these successes when we remove obstacles, support and believe in them, and provide environments and opportunities that build on their strengths.

Boys Hope Girls Hope sees something special in me, something that I never saw in myself. Boys Hope Girls Hope has challenged me to do things that I had never thought I could do. Boys Hope Girls Hope has been an inspiration to me and my family.

Fernando, BHGH Collegian

Our Mission

To nurture and guide motivated young people in need to become well-educated, career-ready men and women for others.

Our Vision

We believe in opportunity, education and inclusion for every young person.

Our Local Impact

Since 1993, BHGH of Colorado has helped scholars overcome disadvantaged backgrounds through scholarship. BHGH of Colorado serves youth who want to go to college and create successful futures for themselves. Our scholars join our program to receive support on their journey to college and beyond. They seek the academic resources, extracurricular opportunities, and mentor relationships we provide.

BHGH of Colorado's History

1977

1993

2010

2013

2016

2017

2018

1977

BHGH of Founded in St. Louis

Fr. Paul Sheridan, S.J. founded Boys Hope Girls Hope in St. Louis, Missouri.

1993

BHGH of Colorado Founded

Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado was established in 1993 with the Boys Hope Residential Home

2010

Girls Hope Home Opened

Just 2 blocks away from the Boys Hope Home, the Girls Hope home opened its doors to serve 5 girls in need.

2013

Academy Program Opened

The non-residential Academy Program was launched at Aurora Central High School for the freshman and sophomore classes.

2016

First Academy Class Graduates from Aurora Central High School

9 scholars from the first BHGH Colorado Academy class graduated from Aurora Central High School. All 9 are still in college today.

2017

First Girls Hope Scholars Graduate College

Alexis and Aaliyah, the first Girls Hope scholars graduated from college! Alexis attended Fort Lewis College and Aaliyah graduated from the University of North Texas.

2018

Transition To Focus On Academy Program Exclusively

To serve more children-in-need, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado focuses exclusively on our Academy and Collegian Programs.

Leadership

Our Board of Directors and staff collaborate to ensure mission fidelity, financial stewardship and transparency. This team of professionals is committed to continuous learning, effective programming and improvement through impact evaluation and innovation.

Mary Frances Tharp

Executive Director

Learn More

Program Director

Jake Zambrano

Board Chair

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jake Zambrano, Chair
76 Group

Frank Jedlicka, Vice Chair
Community Volunteer

Polly Lestikow, Past Board Chair
Closet Factory

Laurel Hammer, Treasurer
KPMG

Mary Frances Tharp, Secretary
Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado

Mary Beth Baer
Community Volunteer

Bob Bowman
Catalyst Law Group

Jim Brendel
MossAdams, retired

David Card
Regis Jesuit High School

Sean Casper
Civitas Resources

Michelle Galuszka
Escuela de Guadalupe School

Kenneth Goebel
West Monroe Partners

Tara Hamilton
Dell Technologies

John Newland
Hercules Industries

J.J. Pierce
World Wide Technology

Carmen Quintanilla
Regis Jesuit High School

Mary Spriester
IMEC, LLC

Kenneth Stable
University of Denver Law School Student

Jason Stover
SSA Associates

Jasmin Tapia
Citywide Banks

Aline Thongvanh
Charles Schwab

EMERITUS BOARD

Scot Anderson

Susan Bailey

Janet Cooper

Jack Corrigan

Scott Cromie

Rob Crosby

Dr. Robert Fante

Mark Kiniry

Chuck Latham

Mary Ann Littler

Dr. Charles Mateskon

Conor McCallin

Patrick McCarthy

Don McFall

Deborah S. O'Dwyer

Ann Rice

John & Angela Schmidt

Bob Strauss

Jo Swanson, Ph.D.

Kent Swanson

Stephen Tierney

Adam Truitt

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BOARD

Liz Abell, Chair

Grace Bradley, Vice Chair

Margeaux Anderson, Treasurer

Tenaya Harrison-Morelock, Secretary

Dani O'Connor, Secretary

Blake Heldt-Werle, Volunteer Chair

Kevin Kiyosaki, Membership Chair

Jorge Palacios, Membership Chair

Virginia Brightwell, Marketing & PR Chair

The Need We Address

Prior to joining our program, our scholars’ face environmental barriers that make it difficult to concentrate on achieving their goals. The relationship between educational failure and poverty creates a vicious cycle that affects too many children in our communities and negatively impacts our entire society.

  • Twenty-one percent of children in the US live in poverty (Census Bureau, 2014)
  • Children born into poverty are six times more likely to drop out of school (Cities in Crisis, 2008).
  • The longer a child lives in poverty, the lower their overall level of academic achievement (Guo and Harris, 2000).
  • Children from families in the highest income quartile are 8 times as likely to earn a college degree that those from the lowest income quartile (Pell Institute and Penn Ahead, 2015).
  • In 1980, college graduates earned 29% more than those without. By 2007, that gap grew to 66% (Baum & Ma, 2007).
  • The costs to United States society are significant in terms of economic productivity, tax revenue, health care over-utilization, parental attention to children’s educational development, civic engagement, and volunteerism (Baum & Ma, 2007).
  • According to CEOs for Cities, every one percentage point increase in adult four-year college degree attainment adds an additional $763 to per capita income per year (One Student at a Time, 2013).
  • Cohen and Piquero (2009) monetized the cost to society over the course of a “negative outcome” child’s lifetime as follows: High School Dropout = $390,000 - $580,000, Plus Heavy Drug User = $846,000 – $1.1 Million, Plus Career Criminal = $3.2 - $5.8 Million.

Invest in the success of our scholars!